Day 107 – Genesis 48:17-20
His Younger Brother Shall Be Greater
Scripture Reading – Genesis 48:17-20
And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head.
Genesis 48:17 KJV
And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.
Genesis 48:18 KJV
And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
Genesis 48:19 KJV
And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
Genesis 48:20 KJV
Scripture Review
Joseph sees Jacob’s right hand upon Ephraim and tries to move it to Manasseh, the firstborn. Jacob refuses, not from confusion but with knowledge: Manasseh will also become a people, yet the younger brother will be greater. He deliberately keeps the crossed hands and places Ephraim before Manasseh.
Custom gave Joseph a reasonable expectation, but custom did not govern God’s choice. Scripture repeatedly shows grace moving beyond natural rank: Isaac rather than Ishmael, Jacob rather than Esau, and now Ephraim before Manasseh. This gives no ground for pride in the younger. Ephraim did not earn the right hand. Sovereign grace humbles the recipient because the blessing originates in God, not in superior birth, planning, or merit.
Joseph meant to correct what appeared to be an aged father’s mistake and preserve the customary priority of the firstborn.
God meant to order the tribes according to His own purpose, blessing both sons while showing that human custom cannot command divine grace.
What this asks of me
I should respect wise order without assuming God is bound by my expected arrangement. When He blesses someone I did not place first, envy only reveals that I thought grace was wages. I can trust His wisdom, encourage both people, and remember that every good thing I receive is undeserved.
Consider
- Where have I mistaken my expected order for a right God must honor?
- Can I rejoice when God gives another person a place or blessing I did not anticipate?